PGA Tour Ratings Decline Streak Finally Ends!

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Paulsen at Sports Media Watch notes the 15-straight PGA Tour telecast ratings decline streak ended with the Tour Championship scoring a 1.9 overnight Sunday on NBC, the same as 2015 and up 12% from 2014.

Paulsen writes:

Sunday’s telecast, which saw Rory McIlroy win both the tournament and the FedEx Cup in a playoff, ended a streak of 15 straight declines for the PGA Tour on broadcast — a stretch that dated back to the British Open. Other than the British Open, it was the first PGA telecast on NBC or CBS to avoid a decline since the St. Jude Classic in June.

Third round action on Saturday pulled a 1.2 overnight, down a tick from last year (1.3) and down a third from 2014 (1.8).

"Ultimate gesture players can make is living like Arnie"

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The timing is bold but the topic has been on the minds of many who follow pro golf: too many of today's lavishly paid stars act in sharp contrast to Arnold Palmer in character, actions and passion for the game.

Ryan Lavner at GolfChannel.com says the passing of Mr. Palmer puts the onus "on the players to decide for themselves how to honor his legacy."

That’s why these days, weeks and months ahead are an important period of reflection for the current pros.

There is an ever-widening divide between fans and the stars of our game, the mega-millionaires who are safe in their cocoon, protected by managers and publicists and image specialists. The money has never been greater – Rory McIlroy deposited $11.44 million Sunday; Palmer made $1.86 million in his career – and the lifestyles never more different. Each year, it seems, they only drift further away, the connection becoming more tenuous.

And so, moving forward, will our stars use their fame, their fortune and their status to shield themselves from the public, from the fans that enriched their fabulous lives? Or will they stay grounded and humble and relatable – will they stay connected – the way Palmer did?

The Olympic Zika virus fiasco this summer opened the door to this discussion and while the debate is not something that should overshadow the remembrances of The King, but throwing the point out seems fair as we hear from the players over the next few days about how they view Palmer's legacy and their places in the game.

Roundup: Some Initial Arnold Palmer Reads And Listens

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Just some of the best stuff I've come across so far...

Steve DiMeglio with more extensive thoughts from Tiger Woods on Arnold Palmer, including this about the time he played the Par-3 at the Masters with Nicklaus and Palmer:

“They just said come with us,” Woods said. “So we just walked over there and we didn’t have to wait and we were on the box. … I’ll never forget we all birdied No. 9. That was probably the most nervous I’ve ever been. They had hit it close and now I’m looking out and seeing a lot of water and just a sliver of green. I was lucky enough to take it off the backboard on the green and have it roll back to the hole. So we all made 2.”

Here is Tiger's chat with Golf Channel's Steve Burkowski where he shares some stories and debuts a new facial hair motif which, if it goes uncut, may hurt his cart speed aerodynamics this week.

In lieu of an emergency ShackHouse (recording Wednesday), Joe House and I offer our thoughts on Palmer for The Ringer crowd and athletes who take for granted what Palmer meant to the sports business world.

Jack Nicklaus's phone interview on Golf Channel's non-stop coverage today.

Players and celebs, includng Chris O'Donnell, Mark Wahlberg and Jim Nantz are interviewed in this Golf Digest video.

Brian Wacker with a personal experience involving Palmer and the letters he so famously wrote.

Jaime Diaz joins Sam Weinman to discuss Palmer on the Golf Digest podcast.

From James Corrigan's Telegraph remembrance:

Timing was everything for Arnold Palmer. The player they were to coronate The King came along at the perfect moment to start a golfing and yes, marketing revolution and although his passing, whenever it came, was always going to be classed as premature, nobody could deny that he left the stage just as the spotlight was zooming in.

That was Palmer, for you. Always the idol they were talking about long after he had made his gracious exit.

Rick Reilly on how Palmer liked people, liked life and liked being a star.

Here was Arnold Palmer: When he'd see you, he'd grab your right hand and shake it, your right shoulder and hold it and say, "How the hell are ya?" Then the left hand might move up to behind your neck or maybe he'd pull you sideways and walk with it draped over your right shoulder, as though you were childhood chums. Ben Hogan was an icicle, Jack Nicklaus was a god, but Arnold Palmer was your poker buddy. The man went out of his way to make sure you knew he liked you. Tiger Woods? Just the opposite.

Mr. Palmer somehow kept Carson Wentz off SI's pre-midseason NFL review's preview issue off the cover of this week’s SI.

Unlike that SI cover, so many of the photos and clips I've seen of Mr. Palmer are of him in his older years because (A) he aged incredibly gracefully and (B) he's been captured in so many modern mediums.

But I love this "What's My Line" appearance as he was becoming a national sensation.

Fifth And Final: Bubba Watson Gets Keys To Ryder Cart!

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Ewan Murray says it could be a "motivational masterstroke or a needless act of compassion," but either way, world No. 7 Bubba Watson will be at Hazeltine National as the highest ranked shuttle driver in Ryder Cup history.

Note the "fifth and final" designation...

CHASKA, MINNESOTA (Sept. 26, 2016) – United States Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III today appointed Bubba Watson his fifth and final Vice Captain for the 2016 Ryder Cup, which will take place Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

The 37-year-old Watson is a three-time Ryder Cup veteran (2010, ’12, and ’14) that played for Love during the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, finishing 2-2-0.

Watson has also represented the United States in the 2016 Summer Olympics and in two Presidents Cups (2011, ’15).   

This is Watson’s first stint as a Vice Captain. The two-time Masters Champion joins fellow United States Vice Captains Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods, each of whom was appointed by Love last year.

I'm just hoping Watson has time to study how he's going to get Erin Walker to the 16th tee from the clubhouse in under five minutes!

Oh, and Bubba, Ryan Moore like his water room temperature Bubba, with no moisture on the outside please.

Here's your cart Bubba! Leave the one with heated seats, lumbar support and Tiger's name on it for the Big Cat!

 

 

Oh Dear: Davis Love Declares His 2016 Ryder Cup Team Maybe The Best Ever Assembled

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Well there is good news in the bombast from captain Davis Love: for day or two we forget the bizarre situation with Bubba Watson, who is stinking it up at East Lake and less likely to make a team that has never sounded interested in his presence.

Bubba has volunteered himself to be a vice captain should he not be picked, and oh won't that be an awkward phone call when Captain Love has to pass up Bubba as a player and as a shuttle driver for players and wives.

(Maybe Love can say Bubba Hovers are banned at Hazeltine?)

Anyway, Captain Love moved the attention to himself with some shocking comments about the strength of his 11-man team. Talking to Matt Adams on Fairways of Life, Love suggests that the recent visit with Bill Belichick and Gillette Stadium may have fueled a warped sense of this year's team.

“We don’t have to do anything superhuman, we’re a great golf team,” Love said. “This is the best golf team, maybe, ever assembled.”

In case you don't believe me, the full embed here, including the Bellichick advice to the "team."

Coach Belichick's advice: ignore the noise. Only problem?

Davis Love just made the noise!

I'm sure Richard Gillis is licking his chops right now to add this example of Captaincy audacity to his already excellent book, discussed this week on State of the Game. It's hard to fathom how Captain Love can say something so silly. Has he not seen past Ryder Cups, when seemingly talented players turn to jelly and everything on paper gets thrown out the window?

We also discussed the best team ever assembled on that show (1981), which Brandel Chamblee noted in his comments. Chamblee and Paul McGinley both criticized the comments, with Chamblee citing "American arrogance" and McGinley calling it "strange positioning" and noting that statistically, Love's thinking "doesn't add up."

The clip:

The statement is being met with ridicule in Europe. James Corrigan for The Telegraph noting that the United States has beaten Europe once in the current 17-year span.

Europe should save their air fares. Davis Love has made the astonishing claim that his US Ryder Cup side “is the best golf team, maybe, ever assembled”.

Lee Westwood was one of the first to ridicule the statement made on PGA Tour radio, tweeting: “No pressure there then lads!”

I think if Love had said it's as good a team as the points list has ever assembled, he might ultimately take less grief.

But using the "assembled" word also suggests task force brilliance. Sigh.

Azinger On Announcing Last Pick During Sunday's NFL Game: "I just don't understand it."

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The Independent's Liam Kelly catches up with Paul Azinger, the victorious 2008 lead cart driver who has a lot of interesting things to say on the eve of the Ryder Cup matches, especially after Lee Westwood wondered about Tiger's impact in the team room.

Azinger smells a rat!

"They showed slow motion of Westwood's glares at those two guys, and him being unhappy with the way they were behaving. That's a purposeful comment by Westwood, in all likelihood. He had intent there, and that intent could backfire."

More interesting was Azinger's criticism (backed up by 2014 European Captain Paul McGinley on Golf Central) of the task force decision to announce the last pick at halftime of NBC's Sunday Night Football game.

"I think it's a terrible idea," said Azinger.

"We're going to announce the final player, arguably the worst player on the team, on the biggest stage. I just don't understand it.

"I think they should do it five minutes, or ten minutes after the press conference with whoever wins the Tour Championship, and let's get ready to rock and roll.

"But they're not going to do that and I don't like it."

The video of McGinley questioning what the last minute structure will do to that 12th player:

Matters get worse when you read Rex Hoggard's take from East Lake after talking to some of those invited for Monday's team practice at Hazeltine (Ryan Moore declined) and their view that the decision has already been made.

If Sunday’s big reveal wasn’t contingent on what transpires this week in Atlanta, as so many now seem to think is the case, why did we wait? Why have a task force? Why claim this time will be different?